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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bore — to drill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. press — to push
  5. tube — the underground
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — a position
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bound — certain
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bound — tied together
  16. tube — a container
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bore — to tire
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com